Cousins!
Extremely disturbing body camera footage is currently circulating throughout social media of a 9 year old girl being pepper sprayed by Rochester, New York police officials!
According to NBC News the partially recorded incident shows officers responding to a reported altercation between family members.
On Friday January 29th local officers were alerted of the young girl threatening to harm herself as well as her mother stated deputy chief Andre Anderson.
Rochester police pepper-sprayed a 9-year-old Black girl after she refused to get into a police car and pleaded to see her dad.
The child was arguing with her mom before the police handcuffed the girl on the ground, pushed her into a police car and sprayed her. pic.twitter.com/jP5CtXubQj
— AJ+ (@ajplus) February 2, 2021
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Within the video you can hear the girl crying and pleading for the officers to contact her father as they try to place her within the police vehicle. It wasn’t long before one of the unidentified officer’s state, “ You’re acting like a child!”
I want us to keep talking about the fact that a 9-year-old Black girl was pepper-sprayed by police during a mental health crisis last week. I want us to keep talking about it & being mad about it so when it’s time to cut budgets we can remember why, & don’t settle for “reform.”
— Ashley (@ACSawyerJustice) February 1, 2021
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The young girl then responds, “I am a child!”
Another unidentified officer can be heard threatening to pepper spray the girl if she continued to resist.
POLICE aren’t meant to punish.. let me say it again POLICE ARENT MEANT TO PUNISH. That is why we have JUDGES and a COURTROOM. So please lmk why those police officers came for the SAFETY OF A 9 YEAR OLD GIRL who was SUICIDAL, put her in HANDCUFFS and PEPPER SPRAYED her. For what?
— Megan 🌻 (@AberMegan) February 2, 2021
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Anderson publicly stated within regards to the incident that effects of the pepper spray did work.
I've had to go out to the garage and beat on my husband's punching bag. A 9 year old girl gets cuffed and pepper sprayed for being suicidal, yet a domestic terrorist gets a vacation to Mexico. The Justice system is BROKEN!
— Minxi 💙 (@minxiv7) February 3, 2021
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Sources have confirmed that an internal investigation is currently underway, that one police officer was suspended and two were placed on administrative leave. The identities of the officers have not been released to the public at this time.
I just watched the video of the 9 year old girl being pepper sprayed by police in Rochester.
I’m heartbroken. I’m outraged. I’m disturbed.
— Kash (@IAmMeAreYouU) February 1, 2021